World Vision Accepts Same-Sex "Marriages"

In a major sign of the times, World Vision’s American branch will employ “gay Christians in legal same-sex marriages” (“World Vision,” Christianity Today, Mar. 24, 2014). World Vision, “a Christian humanitarian” organization, took in more than a billion dollars in revenue in 2013 in its objective of “tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.” World Vision’s U.S. president Richard Stearns says that the new rule “makes our policy more consistent with our practice on other divisive issues.” He hopes that ignoring issues such as divorce/remarriage, baptism, female pastors, and now “same-sex marriage” will advance the cause of Christian unity. He has the audacity to claim that “this is not an endorsement of same-sex marriage.” He says that World Vision can make the new rule because it is a parachurch organization and is not responsible for issues pertaining to Bible doctrine and church practice. Yet the Bible’s commands such as Jude 3 and Romans 16:17 are addressed to all true believers, and obedience to these commands cannot be escaped by claiming to have a more focused, limited objective such as social justice, the family, mass evangelism, or creation science. A foundational problem here is that parachurch organizations have no authority in the New Testament. Every ministry should be under the oversight and discipline of a sound New Testament church, which is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). Further, Christ’s Great Commission does not consist of changing the world via social work. The apostles and early churches didn't try to change the socio-economic condition of the Roman Empire. The Lord’s Great Commission does not consist of one or two or three limited objectives, as good as these might be in themselves. The time appears to be very short, and the crying need of the hour is for the building of sound New Testament churches that are geared 100% to the fulfillment of Christ’s Great Commission as described in Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:44-48; and Acts 1:8. World Vision can huff and puff all it wants about how it is not compromising. Bible believers know that this is utter nonsense. Insofar as it is a Christian ministry in any sense, World Vision is a clear fulfillment of 2 Timothy 4:2-3. World Vision’s decision is also the logical result of the “in essentials unity” heresy. We will see many more cases of capitulation to the homosexual rights movement among professing Christians because of the lack of biblical conviction and the renunciation of separatism and because this is the easy path.

(Friday Church News Notes, March 28, 2014, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

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